Progressive AFT Sturgis Bound for Black Hills Half-Mile

DAYTONA BEACH, FL – August 2, 2022 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – This weekend, Progressive American Flat Track will play a starring role in the 82nd Sturgis Motorcycle Rally with the Progressive Black Hills Half-Mile presented by Saddlemen at Black Hills Speedway in Rapid City, South Dakota, on Saturday, August 6.

The visit will mark the first time since 2019 that the series has joined the massive event, which sees some 500,000 motorcycling enthusiasts make the annual trek to Sturgis, South Dakota.

The fans in attendance on Saturday evening will be treated to a red-hot Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle title fight. Led by archrivals Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) and Briar Bauman (No. 3 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750), the separation at the top is a mere three points (188-185).

Defending champion and current points leader Mees has won at Black Hills Speedway on three prior occasions (‘15, ‘17, and ‘18). Should he win here again this year, he’ll be just one Half-Mile win short of equaling the legendary Scott Parker for most all-time (35) and with the season-ending Mission Volusia Half-Mile Finale still in play.

However, Bauman is the series’ most recent winner at the venue, having taken top honors in 2019.

This weekend’s race also represents the second round of the Progressive Triple Crown, which will pay the premier-class rider who scores the highest points tally across a specified combination of Short Track, Half-Mile, and Miles a $25,000 prize.

Estenson Racing Yamaha aces JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) and Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) currently hold the advantage after going 1-2 at its first round, the Mission Laconia Short Track, back in June. And the two roll into Rapid City with momentum on their side after Beach reigned supreme in last weekend’s SC2 Peoria TT with Daniels joining him on the box.

In fact, Bauman and Mees currently rank 5-6 in the Progressive Triple Crown standings, respectively, trailing not only Beach and Daniels, but also Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) and Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Latus Motors Racing Harley-Davidson XG750R).

Bauman, in particular, is likely to receive significant support from a big contingent of Harley fans at Sturgis. And those fans are bound to have some serious rooting interest in the return of Jeffrey Carver Jr. (No. 23 Dodge Brothers Racing/Happy Trails Racing Harley-Davidson XR750), who finished as runner-up to Bauman here in 2019.

And yes, you read that correctly; Carver will pilot a Harley-Davidson XR750. Is it possible he could add a sixth decade to the iconic machine’s historic wins list after previously taking it to what was presumed to be its final victory back in 2017?

Mission Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines

Jesse Janisch (No. 33 Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson XG750R) comes in riding high after stringing together the two best weekends of his professional career at the Mission Port Royal Half-Mile and SC2 Peoria TT. In fact, it’s been since the Mission New York Short Track one month ago today that Janisch has landed anywhere other than #1 in the results, be it practice, qualifying, Semi, or Main Event.

The last rider to hold that position other than Janisch is defending class champion Cory Texter (No. 1 G&G Racing/Yamaha Racing Yamaha MT-07), who is currently engaged in a hard-fought battle to secure a third and final Mission Production Twins crown. Texter could use a big weekend in Rapid City to even the odds a bit and set the stage for a highly entertaining run down the stretch.

Dan Bromley (No. 62 Memphis Shades/Corbin Seats/Vinson Construction Yamaha MT-07) could have a huge say as well. While he’s not in title contention himself after running a partial schedule earlier this year, Bromley is shaping up to be a serious spoiler. Consider that he’s either finished ahead of both Texter and Janisch or between the two in all four of his ‘22 starts (all podium finishes for that matter).

Despite the mammoth gap from 2nd to 3rd in the championship chase, several other riders have shown the capacity to battle for wins on any given week. That group includes Nick Armstrong (No. 60 Competitive Racing Frames/Lessley Brothers Yamaha MT-07), Billy Ross (No. 109 Mission Foods/Roof Systems Harley-Davidson XG750R), Cameron Smith (No. 34 Thee Cathy Gray/Al Barker Yamaha MT-07), and Johnny Lewis (No. 10 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650).

Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER

The four-race run of domination by Kody Kopp (No. 12 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-FFE) finally came to an end in Peoria. But now it’s up to his Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER rivals to demonstrate that it wasn’t just a TT-specific temporary halt of form.

While Kopp is expected to be a major force again this weekend, last weekend’s 1-2 was an encouraging performance from two-time championship runner-up Max Whale (No. 18 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-FFE) and this year’s second-ranked Morgen Mischler (No. 13 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R). Should either rider catch fire now, they each have the potential to rip off a series of wins of their own and change the narrative, at least to some degree.

Some other fast riders are just looking to get their first win, either of the year, such as Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F), or of their career, like Trent Lowe (No. 48 Mission Foods/Al Lamb’s Dallas Honda CRF450R) and rookie Chase Saathoff (No. 106 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R).

And don’t forget about the class’ most recent winner here, Chad Cose (No. 49 1st Impressions Race Team/Voodoo Ranger Honda CRF450R), who earned his first-career Parts Unlimited AFT Singles victory at the track back in 2019.

The Progressive Black Hills Half-Mile will host Round 5 of 7 for Royal Enfield’s crowd-pleasing BUILD. TRAIN. RACE. program which serves to highlight and celebrate women and motorcycle culture in North America. The question remains the same: Can anyone stop Jaycee Jones (No. 33 Royal Enfield/S&S Cycle Royal Enfield INT650)? Jones is on a serious roll, having built up a big title advantage on the strength of three consecutive wins heading into this weekend’s race in Rapid City.

Along with a multitude of Sturgis-related activities, there will be plenty to keep fans entertained off the track at Black Hills Speedway as well, including numerous vendors. Six-time AMA Supercross/Motocross Champion and AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Jeff Stanton will serve as the event’s Grand Marshal, while Riki Rachtman is certain to be a popular figure with the Sturgis fans as he returns to provide additional color from the pits for this weekend’s broadcast.

Visit https://store.americanflattrack.com/ebooking/ticket/view/id/3696/ to reserve your tickets today. General Admission Grandstand tickets start at just $25 with kids 12 and under free when accompanied by an adult. Premium General Admission Grandstand tickets are available for $50 and offer outstanding views from the most centrally located seating along the front stretch of the racetrack.

Paddock Access Upgrades are also available for purchase, which provide all-day access to the pits where fans can scope out the world’s fastest dirt track motorcycles and get up close and personal with the stars of the sport.

Gates will open for fans at 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT with Opening Ceremonies scheduled to begin at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT ahead of the day’s Main Event program. You can catch the livestream of all the weekend’s racing activities on FansChoice.tv. FansChoice.tv provides free-to-view livestreaming of Practice and Qualifying. FansChoice.tv subscribers will then be able to watch the drama unfold from Opening Ceremonies through the Semis, Main Events, and podium celebrations. FansChoice.tv offers two subscription options, granting unlimited access to premium AFT content. Monthly subscriptions start at just $7.99, while a six-month subscription is available for $44.99.

The Progressive Black Hills Half-Mile presented by Saddlemen will premiere on FS1 on Sunday, August 14, at 12:00 p.m. ET/9:00 a.m. PT, including exclusive features, cutting-edge aerial drone and onboard footage, and expert commentary.

For more information on Progressive AFT visit https://www.americanflattrack.com. To score the latest gear for the Progressive American Flat Track fan, visit our official merchandise store at https://store.americanflattrack.com.

How to Watch:

FOX Sports and FansChoice.tv are the official homes for coverage of Progressive American Flat Track. For the 2022 season, all races will premiere in one-hour telecasts on FS1 during highly desirable weekend time slots. The complete schedule can be viewed at https://www.americanflattrack.com/events-foxsports. FansChoice.tv provides livestreaming coverage of every Progressive AFT round at http://www.FansChoice.tv.

About Progressive American Flat Track

Progressive American Flat Track is the world’s premier dirt track motorcycle racing series and one of the longest-running championships in the history of motorsports. Sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing in Daytona Beach, Fla., the series is highly regarded as the most competitive form of dirt track motorcycle racing on the globe. For more information on Progressive American Flat Track, please visit us on the web, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, check us out on Instagram and catch all the Progressive American Flat Track racing action on FOX Sports.

Source: Progressive American Flat Track

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Wiles Returns to Battle Stacked Field for 75th Peoria TT

DAYTONA BEACH, FL – July 26, 2022 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – While the opening nine rounds of the 2022 Progressive American Flat Track seasonplayed out on oval dirt tracks of all sizes, the second half will kick off on Saturday, July 30, with the first TT. And it’s not just any TT, it’s the World Famous SC2 Peoria TT presented by Country Saloon.

Set in the Peoria Motorcycle Club’s scenic natural amphitheater inPeoria, Illinois, and boasting history and tradition that’s nearly unrivaled across two-wheeled sport, the Peoria TT easily ranks among the most prestigious races on the Progressive AFT slate.

Reigning Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle champion Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) has accomplished almost every possible goal in his Hall-of-Fame-worthy career, but victory at the Peoria TT has proven just outside his grasp.

While Mees has finished as the race’s runner-up on multiple occasions, he’ll enter this year’s 75th edition of the fabled race as the underdog. Despite his vast skill and past success, Mees will be faced with perhaps the most stacked premier-class Peoria TT field in recent memory.

His three closest championship rivals all carry high hopes into Peoria. Second-ranked Briar Bauman (No. 3 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) won the race in 2019 and enters the weekend riding high after two consecutive victories. Third-ranked Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) is the home track hero who scored his first career professional win at the venue in dominant fashion. And fourth-ranked JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) won last year’s Peoria TT by more than three seconds to claim his fourth win of the series’ most recent five TTs.

If the opposition didn’t look formidable enough already, “King” Henry Wiles (No. 17 Willy Built Kawasaki Ninja 650) is set to make his Progressive AFT return this weekend. Wiles is the most successful rider in the race’s history, assembling an incredible 14-race win streak from 2004-2018.

Other riders who could have say include ‘19 race runner-up Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Latus Motors Racing Harley-Davidson XG750R) and last year’s fourth-place finisher, Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750), not to mention the Mission Production Twins Challenge entrants, who have the potential to prove particularly potent in Peoria.

Mission Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines

Chief among the aforementioned group is Mission Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines title leader Jesse Janisch (No. 33 Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson XG750R).

Janisch’s three-prior undercard Peoria TT victories is what earned him his shot on the Vance & Hines XG750R initially with the team in need of an injury replacement as it headed to the venue a year ago. Janisch has since shed his reputation as a TT specialist with the sort of all-around excellence required to build a title lead in a season thus far absent of TTs, but that discipline-specific expertise remains.

A year ago, Janisch finished third in his first-ever ride on the bike. He’s much more at home aboard it now and should only prove that much more formidable. And he’ll need to be in order to overcome last year’s winner and second-place finishers, Dan Bromley (No. 62 Vinson Construction/Viper Air Yamaha MT-07) and Ben Lowe (No. 25 Mission Foods/Roof Systems Yamaha MT-07).

With Janisch expecting to make hay, the weekend will be of equal importance to defending champion Cory Texter (No. 1 G&G Racing/Yamaha Racing Yamaha MT-07), who currently sits on point out of first.

Others who could make his life difficult include the returning Johnny Lewis (No. 10 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650) and Cole Zabala (No. 51 Memphis Shades/Corbin/Vinson Yamaha MT-07), who have each previously demonstrated impressive TT chops.

Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER

The Peoria TT will be the ultimate test of Kody Kopp (No. 12 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-FFE)’s recent Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER invincibility. Kopp certainly has the skill to extend his four-race win streak in Peoria, flashing front-running pace a year ago before ultimately finishing down in ninth position.

The 17-year-old has taken his game to another level in ‘22, and as such, he’s expected to be a serious player. However, he’ll be contending with a field anxious to bring his run of unmitigated success to a halt, led by the likes of last year’s Peoria TT winner Max Whale (No. 18 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-FFE) and 2017 DAYTONA TT winner Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R).

The race also traditionally presents an opportunity for some riders ranked outside the top ten to work their way into the mix, including teammates Ferran Cardús (No. 377 Roof Systems of Dallas/Bullet Strong Racing Honda CRF450R), who finished on the podium a year ago, and Jacob Lehmann (No. 14 Roof Systems of Dallas/Bullet Strong Racing), who was triumphant here back in 2014.

Visit https://store.americanflattrack.com/ebooking/ticket/view/id/3695 to reserve your tickets today. General Admission tickets are just $35 with kids 12 and under free when accompanied by an adult. There’s also the VIP Admission ticket that includes access to the Turn 1 VIP Lounge available for $125 (all ages).

Gates will open for fans at 10:00 a.m. ET/6:00 a.m. PT with Opening Ceremonies scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m. ET/11:30 a.m. PT ahead of the day’s race program.You can catch the livestream of all the weekend’s racing activities on FansChoice.tv. FansChoice.tv provides free-to-view livestreaming of Practice and Qualifying. FansChoice.tv subscribers will then be able to watch the drama unfold from Opening Ceremonies through the Semis, Main Events, and podium celebrations. FansChoice.tv offers two subscription options, granting unlimited access to premium AFT content. Monthly subscriptions start at just $7.99, while a six-month subscription is available for $44.99.

The SC2 Peoria TT presented by Country Saloon will premiere on FS1 on Sunday, August 7, at 11:30 a.m. ET/8:30 a.m. PT, including exclusive features, cutting-edge aerial drone and onboard footage, and expert commentary.

For more information on Progressive AFT visit https://www.americanflattrack.com. To score the latest gear for the Progressive American Flat Track fan, visit our official merchandise store at https://store.americanflattrack.com.

How to Watch:

FOX Sports and FansChoice.tv are the official homes for coverage of Progressive American Flat Track. For the 2022 season, all races will premiere in one-hour telecasts on FS1 during highly desirable weekend time slots. The complete schedule can be viewed at https://www.americanflattrack.com/events-foxsports. FansChoice.tv provides livestreaming coverage of every Progressive AFT round at http://www.FansChoice.tv.

About Progressive American Flat Track

Progressive American Flat Track is the world’s premier dirt track motorcycle racing series and one of the longest-running championships in the history of motorsports. Sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing in Daytona Beach, Fla., the series is highly regarded as the most competitive form of dirt track motorcycle racing on the globe. For more information on Progressive American Flat Track, please visit us on the web, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, check us out on Instagram and catch all the Progressive American Flat Track racing action on FOX Sports.

Source: Progressive American Flat Track

progressive americam flat track logo

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